Healthy Queensland Awards

The Healthy Queensland Awards for 2012 will launch in May.

The winners and highly commended finalists for the

2011 Healthy Queensland Awards have been announced

Read the media release here

The Healthy Queensland Awards are a state-wide search to find Queensland's healthiest community, school and workplace, and up to $1.6 million is available in reward funding.

The Queensland Government is helping Queenslanders become Australia's healthiest people. One of the ways we’re building a healthier Queensland is through the annual Healthy Queensland Awards.

The awards aim to recognise, motivate, and support communities, schools and workplaces for helping Queenslanders live healthier lives.

This includes:
- being more physically active,
- making healthier food choices,
- achieving and maintaining a healthy weight,
- being smoke free,
- encouraging responsible drinking,
- being sun smart.

The awards are open to a range of organisations including community groups, streets in a neighbourhood, clubs and associations, neighbourhood centres, local government, schools, businesses, charities and corporations. To be eligible, entrants must ensure they are an incorporated body or be auspiced by an incorporated body.

The prize money for the three categories are:

Healthiest Community - $750,000 (winner x 1) and $50,000 (highly commended x 5)
Healthiest School - $250,000 (winner x 1) and $50,000 (highly recommended x 5)
Healthiest Workplace - $50,000 (winner x1) and $10,000 (highly recommended x 5)

Prize money will be awarded to projects and programs that promote improved health.

This can include infrastructure projects such as:
- walking and cycling paths,
- basketball/tennis/multi purpose court,
- shade structures,
- sport and recreation equipment,
- policies that make healthy choices the easy choices,
- programs that promote health and wellbeing,

Further Information is available online or contact Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland on 3252 2886

Premier's Message

All across Queensland people are striving to make their towns, streets, schools and workplaces much healthier places to live, work, learn and play.

The Healthy Queensland Awards are an opportunity to celebrate and recognise local communities that help Queenslanders be more active, make healthier food choices, achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be smoke free and encourage responsible drinking.

We’re committed to reducing preventable disease as one of our top priorities through my Government's vision for Queensland, Toward Q2.

The Queensland Government is pleased to be supporting the Healthy Queensland Awards, in partnership with Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland.

My government is offering a total prize pool of $1.6 million toward state winners, to reward and celebrate the valued contribution and successes of local communities, organisations and schools in creating healthier lives for Queenslanders.

I strongly encourage all Queensland schools, businesses, local governments and community groups to submit an application for these Awards and help us build a healther Queensland.

The Honourable Anna Bligh MP,

Premier and Minister for Reconstruction

CEO's Message

Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland’s programs and awards aim to motivate Queenslanders to care for their local environment’s sustainability and beauty, and ensure our state is ‘green and healthy’.

In 2011 the challenges are more acute with natural disasters throwing many people and communities into turmoil. But the experiences have heightened our need to become healthier and more active, and achieve greater well-being.

We are pleased to assist the Premier to find the Healthiest Community, the Healthiest School and the Healthiest Workplace and make a significant difference.

We all know it pays to be healthy, and these Awards can provide financial support to roll-out well-planned initiatives to benefit more Queenslanders, whether in your community, school or workplace.

As more of us live longer and healthier lives, we will need a cleaner and healthier environment to nurture our kids, and their kids – and we are blessed to live in the best place in the world.

Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland is turning 40 this year – a milestone where “life begins” and we hope it is a cleaner and healthier life for all Queenslanders for the generations to come.

Rick Burnett

CEO, Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland